MS Research: IllumiRoom *spin*

The projector is the same size. You can project onto a wall without a projector screen. You could stick a small screen in the middle to the similar visual quality to TV+projection.

For consoles, yes, but upscaled would be good enough, and any 4k projector will handle that. Having experience big screen gaming, I definitely prefer it to small screens for 'living room' gaming.

The projector/display will handle that.

Yes but for a projector you would have to have a clear wall shifty, it couldnt do what that is doing because as kaotic says, the main game detail (HUD, etc) is clear to see in a small space (the tv) the illumiroom takes care of pepherial vision, so the furniture in the way makes no difference, a straight 2d projection 4k or not would have the important game bits skewed and not properly visiable, thus spoiling the experience.

Also illumiroom works in a 3d environment unlike a 2 projector, you can clearly see visuals in the space between the player and the screen, this is much better than a crappy 3d tv screen with prohibitive annoying glasses, and also it is more subtle.

The illumiroom is able to display different images to the main game display that can add to the experience in subtle ways, ie playing skyrim in the snowy mountains with the snow effect in your pepherial vision, perhaps you suddenly hear something rustling to the rear of you (surround sound/headset) and a polar bear creature comes into your pepherial vision and attacks you on screen..perhaps this is enough to make you jump...this would be totally open to developers to control and with kinct 2 linked up into the system the possibilities are mouthwatering and endless.

Remember the rumours of a minority report type UI interface for xbox 720? If both kinect 2 & illumiroom are connected would this be enough to make such a thing possible??

We all want innovation, the wii with its amstrad visuals but new controller experience proved that people are drawn to such things, the illumiroom concept is the kind of innovation that the consoles are crying out for to keep people interested and not just connect their galaxy s5 to the tv and get a satisfying and comparable experience to say an old style generic plug in console.

Microsoft in the last few years are trying to be different and innovate, I think they should he applauded for it.
 
Yes but for a projector you would have to have a clear wall shifty, it couldnt do what that is doing because as kaotic says, the main game detail (HUD, etc) is clear to see in a small space (the tv) the illumiroom takes care of pepherial vision, so the furniture in the way makes no difference, a straight 2d projection 4k or not would have the important game bits skewed and not properly visiable, thus spoiling the experience.

Also illumiroom works in a 3d environment unlike a 2 projector, you can clearly see visuals in the space between the player and the screen, this is much better than a crappy 3d tv screen with prohibitive annoying glasses, and also it is more subtle.
I agree, but if I'm putting a projector in my room, I'd rather rearrange it with a big, empty wall than project onto the floor and furnishings. That seems a less than ideal application of a projector. The 3D is kinda neat with the snow accumulations, but it's also pretty gimmicky and hardly immersive. It's also more focussed at the single player, as anyone sitting to the sides will see distorted and shadowed projections.

It strikes me as an elite, solo gamer tech, not a mainstream home-console user tech. A fun and impressive idea, but not contributing a massive amount to the console experience beyond initial wow factor.
Microsoft in the last few years are trying to be different and innovate, I think they should he applauded for it.
MS has long had innovative RnD projects. They have an Envisioning Centre for one. This isn't any different - it's a concept that looks cool and might one day reach production, although its real-world market viability is uncertain IMO, and I don't think it's a mainstream console tech.
 
I agree, but if I'm putting a projector in my room, I'd rather rearrange it with a big, empty wall than project onto the floor and furnishings. That seems a less than ideal application of a projector. The 3D is kinda neat with the snow accumulations, but it's also pretty gimmicky and hardly immersive. It's also more focussed at the single player, as anyone sitting to the sides will see distorted and shadowed projections.

It strikes me as an elite, solo gamer tech, not a mainstream home-console user tech. A fun and impressive idea, but not contributing a massive amount to the console experience beyond initial wow factor.
MS has long had innovative RnD projects. They have an Envisioning Centre for one. This isn't any different - it's a concept that looks cool and might one day reach production, although its real-world market viability is uncertain IMO, and I don't think it's a mainstream console tech.

Yes but again having a large wall clear in your front room to accomodate a 100 inch 4k projector is hardly mainstream either ;)

For most people I suspect the illumiroom setup..with a normal size hd tv, furniture in a normal generic setup with maybe the living room table or perhaps the foot 'poof' (your british I presume so you understand lol ) - accommodating the (wireless?) illumiroom projector- would be much more easy and casual I would suggest.

Also I guess most people/kids with consoles would spend most of their time playing alone..I dont know that as a fact of course...but I think its a fair assumption. .so the lack of multiplayer usage wouldn't deter many..besides we don't know if it hasn't got such a set up?

-If 3 of your mates were playing halo 5..and you had your 3 seater sitee directly opposite the tv..then it may just work.

Illumiroom is clearly a completely different gaming experience to a tv setup, its not comparable to anything other than an eyefinity setup like kaotic mentions, except illumiroom promises to be alot more accessible.

Also this being a new gadget and having a different appeal to a 2d gaming experience such as a projector, it would draw interest.
 
It's a very interesting concept. After years in the games industry I am now firmly back in the simulation and modelling world, there is a lot of research on immersion and display technology. Based on the concepts of Cones vs Rods in the eye, this idea has a lot of merit.

With the primary focus on the central screen, it is only coarse movement and object outlines that play a part in peripheral vision. This seems a very convenient and simple way of providing that great field of view. I was particularly interested in the sections with what appeared to be edge filtered imagery in use. It should be all that is necessary to create a very comprehensive and compelling feeling of immersion.

Using the traditional 1st person perspective, it makes sense too. Head movement is simulated by the camera position, so the eye's should always be focused on the centre of the TV screen, allowing additional information to be achieved with a lower definition version on the periphery.

Very interesting. I will be following this up.
 
One other thing I noted was the warping effect of the living room furniture (e,g, the square boxes and shelves). Is this just a video effect added for impact or is the system integrated with a video camera to:

1) assist with color compensation
2) enable the pseudo movement of the real world environment. I have seen similar effects in street side projections on building at arts festivals, where there is limited scope to make existing architecture appear to move and warp (within reason).
 
One other thing I noted was the warping effect of the living room furniture (e,g, the square boxes and shelves). Is this just a video effect added for impact or is the system integrated with a video camera to:
The system uses a Kinect next to the projector to scan the room. It'll have spacial and colour data to correct distortions and colour shifts by furniture. Once the Kinect has calibrated the room, it wouldn't have to be kept by the projector as long as the projector doesn't change position. Clearly this is a cumbersome setup though, and a final commercial product would presumably want the cameras in with the projector. A cheap picoprojector and Kinect cameras pushes the price to a couple hundred quid minimum (and I doubt a picoprojector is going to be bright enough, but I'm not up to date with laser projection performance). Slap on a premium to actually make a profit from those that want this tech, and I imagine it'd be pretty expensive. Like the HMZ, a niche product with a niche pricepoint for those with the interest and cash.
 
It's just illusion by the projection, obviously. Kinect handles scanning the environment in the prototype, and tells the software to adjust what it's projecting based on the scans.
 
I'm with rockaman on this...
I can't see the value. I need more details though.
It seems to me that if you are not epileptic, you'll become one...!
My old DLP pj, used to give me headaches after two hours.
I'm scared to even imagine what this thing 'll give me...
You also need special conditions to play, (a dark room, space requirements for the pj)

If I had to choose between this and eyefinity, I'd choose eyefinity.
And then there is the Occulus rift...
It has to be very cheap to even consider it.
 
It's just illusion by the projection, obviously. Kinect handles scanning the environment in the prototype, and tells the software to adjust what it's projecting based on the scans.

Obviously, I didn't think it was actually warping the furniture :)

With the inclusion of Kinect, it gives the ability to stitch multiple units together. Technically you could provide a 360 degree view with enough of them.

Sounding even better.
 
Obviously, I didn't think it was actually warping the furniture :)

With the inclusion of Kinect, it gives the ability to stitch multiple units together. Technically you could provide a 360 degree view with enough of them.
At a price way beyond a HUD with true stereoscopic immersion...
 
You suggested stitching devices together to get 360 projection. For that cost, you could instead use a HUD which would provide far better 360 degree immersion.
 
I doubt tracking accuracy is a problem once we get some volume.

As for latency, I think there is a solution for that. Just render at higher FOV than the display system, then use the near realtime orientation to warp the frame to the display ... this way head rotation gets a low latency response even if the render pipeline is high latency.

PS. unless this idea was already patented a long time ago you can be relatively certain it's patent pending since VR is coming back in vogue and it's patently obvious.
 
You mean HMD?!
Yeah, wrong middle initial. That strikes me as a far more sensible avenue of research for 360 degree immersion than 4 or 6 wall projection. Illumiroom seems a cul-de-sac technology to me. It'll provide some ambient experience and then fizzle out, to be replaced by truly immersive interfaces. It's not even a stop-gap as it isn't a substitute for HMDs, not providing any of the similar advantages really. All Illumiroom seems to offer regards actual gameplay is some wider FOV feedback for incoming missiles, aircraft, shots, etc. You can't then look at the source and actually move the game's focus there - instead you'll have to swing the camera as displayed on the TV in the right direction. I suppose there could be some effective niche applications like shadows cast on the scenery to indicate incoming creatures, but as I doubt the tech will ever become mainstream, I doubt it'll ever be the target for such game design.
 
Generally "CAVE" setups in Modelling and Simulation (M&S) is considered vastly superior to HMD.

Latency and accuracy in the tracking device has always been an issue, and I am far from convinced that it has been anywhere near solved now. The list of issues with HMDs is a mile long and there has been hundreds of papers focused on those issues.

One particular issue is accuracy over time with a HMD tracking system. There are two major options:

1) External tracking which always has large latency issues.
2) Internal Tracking based on solid state gyros etc which have enormous issues with precision over time.
 
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